Mountain Man Strength

True Natural Raw Strength journal, articles, and rants of a strength chasing mountain man. I am a competitive Olympic lifter and hunter. I have lifted weights since 1996, and started doing in Olympic lifts in 2008. I have a good handle on persistance, determination, what works, and nutrition. My training has always been drug free and simplistic, focusing on the foundations of proper training and diet.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

No, I don't roast my own beans or have a beaker that I pour my coffee through like some hipster. But, I do appreciate organic free trade coffee! And I know enough to make sure I buy beans, grind them myself, and drink my coffee out of a French press. If you don't do those things, START! And also, if you haven't tried grass fed butter in your coffee with MCT oil, try it! I will rate the best coffee's by taste in ascending order:

Bullet Proof medium roast beans rank #1

I have tried a lot of different coffee's and despite the high price, I keep coming back to BulletProof's upgraded medium roast beans. They are guaranteed mycotoxin free (wether you think those claims are a marketing ploy, genius or not is another story.) The coffee I make with these beans is the best ever, bar none. The coffee is a smooth tasting perfect balanced flavour with no after taste. I make perfectly rich tasting cup of brew in a French press, with 4 scoops of freshly ground beans, sitting in hot water for 10 minutes. To order in Canada click here.

Rank #2 for best tasting is Level Ground Bolivia Med roast.

One coffee that I like but is not pictured here is Kicking Horse. I would rate them in upper half of midrange for taste.

Pretty good tasting option from Costco. Has a unique flavour.

Not as nice as Level Ground's Medium Roast.

Even though it is priced the same as Bulletproof's beans, these ones aren't close.

Another decent option at Costco.

The worst organic free trade coffee I tried was bought from Amazon, here it is

So now, what supplements work, which ones don't? And why should you take them? Well, I will start a priority list of what I would take as an athlete who cares about performance and optimal health. Keep in mind I am a male athlete in my 30's. I will post research links and articles as I find them in my archives over time, so be patient and post questions if you like.

Zinc- As a man living in a world full of pesticides, and as an athlete enduring hard training, Zinc helps regulate hormones. It also makes sure you are not deficient as that can lead to higher estrogen/lower testosterone levels. I can definitely notice a difference while taking zinc, I will get leaner, less pec fat, more muscular, and notice more sex drive. I use different trusted brands of different zinc types in order to switch it up on a rotational basis. You can do the zinc test to see if you are deficient. Now foods is a good source. ZMA by optimum nutrition is another good source of Zinc and Magnesium. I have also been tested while taking this.

Fish Oil- Optimizes brain function, healthy source of fat, good for heart, makes blood slippery, so in turn can lower blood pressure, lower inflammation. Also, it was explained to me by a doctor that every cell in your body needs it, so if you don't get it, you are deficient.

Good Multi vitamin.

Vitamin D- Again, deficient levels will cause problems, one of which is lower testosterone.

Probiotics- You are what you eat, you have to make sure you are absorbing what you eat as well! Not to mention the health benefits of ensuring a healthy digestive tract. Multiple studies have been linking gut health bacteria with mental health. Check out this TED talk on it.

Multi-Vitamin- Make sure you are getting certain minerals and vitamins. No, I do not feel any difference taking multivitamins but they are cheap and I take them to cover my bases. What I take is either Poliquin's men's multi or Innate Choice's Men's multi vitamin.

Poliquin's Mult Intense.

Keto OS by Pruvit- I have tried this product for about a month now after reading Paul Carter's blog on it. It took 3 days for it to kick in for me. I have heard and seen other people get an immediate response from it. The proprietary formula (BHB, MCT powder) puts exogenous ketones in your body, thereby putting you in ketosis for approximately 5 hours. If you know about Ketosis, then you realize how powerful this concept is. Anyways, some people immediately notice intense focus, clear mind, improved vision, energy, lowered inflammation. I started noticing those things on day 3 of use and let me say, this supplement has probably the greatest effect of any supplement I have ever taken. It is not a stimulant, and you can get it with, or without caffeine. The focus, and clean energy you get from this product is a feeling I have never had before. The body fat loss, increased ATP, and lowered inflammation were added benefits. I gave some samples to friends and family, here are some of the responses I got: a type 1 diabetic who in turn uses less insulin now and can manage sugar cravings. Vision improvement. Focus. More intense workouts with more energy, less muscle soreness/fatigue in the following days. People who do intermittent fasting, found it is easier to do when taking it. Less sugar cravings and crashing from Keto//OS. I also gave a couple samples to a competitive strongman who was struggling with muscle cramping during his competition, but then he ended up having one of his best performances, winning the Provincial title. I also have a physique competitor/ Bodybuilder who has had great results using it as a fasting tool for his comp prep.

Whey Protein- A staple among most athletes and especially among strength trainers. I was told to use it post workout by a Gold Medalist in Olympic Weightlifting, as the fast absorption is best used right after a workout. Post workout is the only time you will see me use whey protein. My all time favorite is Reserveage Organics Grass Fed Organic Whey. It tastes the best, and is also the healthiest choice being sourced from grass fed organic cows. The downside is it is expensive, like all good things.

Second Place is PhD's Pharma Pure
which tastes good and is also
a grass fed product that did have a
no banned substance guarantee.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Coming into Nationals this year I was as strong as I ever had been and technique was dialed. A couple weeks out I did a greasy 235kg squat that took it's toll on my knee. I had to nurse it going into the competition.

Competition day: I was prepared but still dealing with knee pain. I pushed through as best as I could during snatches but aggravated it and subsequently could not get into the position I needed to be in to receive my 131kg attempts.

I headed into clean and jerks unable to catch the bar below power position. I had to reduce my starting numbers in order to make a total. After the completing my first 2 clean and jerk attempts I asked for a 12kg jump to secure bronze. This was a new PR for me in the 94kg category. Watch the video to find out what happens.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Test day went well. This is where my coach and I hit some heavy singles that are fast and sharp without technique breakdown, so we can estimate start weights for the upcoming competition.
Right now, speed, strength, technique and confidence are firing on all cylinders. I am confident for some new Personal Records around the corner. Looking forward to competing at my 6th National Championships.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Training is going well, I am progressing and building momentum towards 2016 weightlifting Nationals. Here is a video of a Slo-mo 120kg snatch from the other day at the end of a squat cycle:
Focusing on driving legs through the platform at the start, close bar path, and head/eyes slightly angled down at the catch position for optimal bar/shoulder position.